Cartridge-feed mechanism of automatic guns.



. A. T. DAWSON & G. .'I. BUCKHAM. CARTRIDGE FEED MEGH'ANISM 0F AUTOMATIC GUNS.

' APPLIuArIon FILED SEPT. 4. 1912.

1,091,640.. v y 1 Patented Mar. 31,1914.

2 EHEETB-SHEET 1.

A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM. CARTRIDGE FEED MECH'ANIS-M 0F AUTOMATIC GUNS. A PPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1912.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Uni 'rnD ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, OF yTIES'JJM'JNS'LER,

LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIMITED, 0F WESTMINSTER,

ENGLAND.

CARTRIDGE-FEED MECHANISM OF AUTOMATIC" GUNS.

Speccatonof Lett-ers Patent.

Application led September 4, 1912. Serial No. 718,469.

' mechanism of the kind in which the top and bottom levers are made integral with the pivot pin and in which the feed box is provided with a movable bearing piece or slide in order to permit the said integral levers and pivot -pin to be placed in position in the feed box and to be removed therefrom when desired. d

According to the present invention the movable bearing piece or slide is inthe form of a cap having a semilcircular recess and is mounted in vertical guides on the feed box so that the pivot pin is completely surrounded. by bearing-surfaces constituted by the said recess in the bearing cap and a similar recess in the feed box. The said ycap is formediwith a flange adapted to coperate with a flange moving withthe top and bottom levers, the ,said flanges being so arranged as lto permit ofthe angular movements of the levers during the'recoiland -for- Ward movements of the barrel.

In order that the said' invention may be clearly Yunderstood and readily carried into effect we will describethe same more fully with reference to theV accompanying drawings, in which Figure l isa plan ofthe feed box showing the parts in theposition theyv assume when the barrel is in thel forward or normal position, the aforesaid movable bearing cap beingremoved. Fig.' 2 is afviewsimilar to Fig. l showing the parts in the position vthey assume when the barrel is in the recoiled position the aforesaid movable'beard ing cap being in place.` Fig. 3 is an end pivot pin. Figs. 8, 9 and l0 are respectively an end elevation, aside elevation and a plan of the movable bearing cap, and Fig. 1l is a view of a detail hereinafter referred to.

Patented Mal. 31, 1914:.

In all'these figures, A is the feed box and A the reciprocating slide or plate.

B 1s the top lever having a projection b that engages in a holein the slide or plate Af.

B is the bottom lever having a projection b .that engages in a slot in one of the recoil plates. B2 is the pivot pin connecting the said levers and made integral therewith, and C is the movable bearing cap.

.Bc is the ange moving with'the top and bottom levers, and Cx'isl'the flange on the movable bearing cap.

In the example-illustrated, the top lever B is `formed with the flange'Bx the shoulders of which are diametrically opposite and are v adapted to engage with the radial shoulders of the flange CX onthe aforesaid movable bearing C, the latter flange being in the form ofan arc which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 10, is less than a semi-circle in order to provide a space or gap to allow for the angular displacement of the levers B, B, during the recoil and forward movements of the barrel. The pivot pin B2 is formed with anaxial hole b2 for the reception of a splitretaining pin D (Fig. 11) the head d* of which engages in a recess b* in the top lever B and in asimilar recess c. in the top of the movable bearing cap C, the 4said pinD 'by' the engagement of its enlarged end do with shoul- .ders b in the hole b2, serving to normally retain the bearing cap C in position'.

The'movable bearing cap C is semi-circular in cross section as is seen from Fig. 10 and is formed with lateral fins c which engage in corresponding vertical guides a (Figsrl, 3 and 4) in the feed box A, when the bearing is being insertedor removed.` `The bearings for the said pivot pin B2 are constituted by a semi-circular recess 0** in the movable bearing cap and a similar recess a inthe feed'box. i

ln assembling the integral top and bottom 1evers,the reciprocating slide A is retained by hand in approximately the position shown in Fig. l, and the pivot pin B2 is inserted in the semi-cireular recess axx with the projection b lon the top lever B in engagement with its hole in the'slide A. v The levers are then moved until the slide is in the posit-ion shown in Fig. 2 and the movable bearing cap C is slid into place in the feed box as aforesaid; the split retaining pin D is then inserted and the parts are in the Working condition. In removing the parts the above described operations are reversed.

What We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In cartridge feed mechanism for automatic guns, the combination of a feed box having a semi-circular recess, a pivot pin disposed in said recess, top and bottom lovers rigidly connected to said pivot pin,

Y and a semi-circular bearing cap for said pivot pin, slidably mounted in said feed box in the direction of the axis of said pivot pin, said pin being completely surrounded by the recess and bearing cap.

2. ,In cartridge feed mechanism for automatic guns, the combination of a feed box having a semi-circular recess, a pivot pinv ,disposed in said recess, top and bottom levers made integral with said pivot pin,

and a semi-circular bearing cap for said pivot pin, slidably mounted in said feed box in the direction of the axis of said pivot pin, said pin being completely surrounded by the recess and bearing cap.

3. In cartridge feed mechanism for automatic guns, the combination of a feed box having av semi-circular recess, a vertically arranged pivot pin disposed in said recess, topand bottom levers made integral with said pivot pin, and a vertically sliding semi-circular bearing cap for said pivot pin, said pin being completely surrounded by the recess and bearing cap.

4. In cartridge feed mechanism for automatic guns, the combination of a feed box liavi-nfr a semi-circular `recess a ivot in.

disposed in said recess, top and bottom levers rigidly connectedto said pivot pin, a flange on said top. lever, a semi-circular bearing cap for said pivot pin, slidably mounted in said feed box in the direction of the axis of said pivot pin, said pin being completely surrounded by the recess and bearing cap, and a flange on said bearing.v

5. In cartridge feed mechanism for automatic guns, the combination of a feed box having -a semi-circular recess, a vertically arranged pivot pin disposed inA said recess,

top and bottom levers made integral with said pivot pin, a flange on said top lever, a

pivot. pin, a retaining device passing through the said pivot pin, and means form ing part of said device for cooperating With said bearing cap and pivot pin.

7. In cartridge Afeed mechanism for automatic guns, the combination of a feed box, a vertically arranged pivot pin, top and bottom levers made integral With said pivot pin, a vertically sliding bearing cap for said pivot pin, a spring retaining pin passing through an axial hole in said pivot pin for cooperating with the bearing cap and pivot 8. In cartridge feed mechanism `for automatic guns, the combination of afeed box, a vertically arranged pivot pin, top and bot tom levers made integral With said pivot pin, a flangeon said top lever, a Harige on the upper end of said bearing cap, a vertically sliding bearing cap for said pivot pin, aspring retaining pin passing through an axial hole in said pivot pin for cooperating with the bearing cap and pivot pin.

9. In cartridge vfeed mechanism for automatic guns, the. combination of a feed box, as vertically arrangedpivot pin, top and bottom levers made integral with said pivot pin, a semi-circular flange on said top lever,

a flange smaller than a semi-circle on the upper end of said bearing cap, a vertically sliding bearing cap for said pivotv pin, a spring retaining pin passing through an vaxial hole in saidpi'vot pin for coperating with the bearing cap and pivot pin.

In testimony whereof We atlix our slgna- `tures in presence of tivo witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUOKHAM. Witnesses: Y

HENRY KING, JN0. R. CASWELL. 

